Christmas 2023 and New Year 2024 services

The following services will operate in Wichelstowe and East Wichel over the Christmas and New Year period.

The Stowe Church

Christmas Treat Station

Friday 22^nd December from 5 pm to 6.30 pm on the ‘piazza’ on Trevello Road. With hot chocolate, carols and festive fun in East Wichel. It’s like the Halloween Treat Station, but at Christmas and with Carols!

Carols by Candlelight

Christmas Eve, Sunday 24^th December, 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm at The StoweAway. A traditional, joyful and peaceful start to Christmas.

Waste and recycling collections

The non-recyclable waste and food waste collections due on Christmas Day will instead happen later in the week. Swindon Borough Council advises residents to leave their wheelie bin and food waste bin out by 6.30 am on Wednesday 27^th December, and leave them out until they are collected during the week. A normal recycling collection should happen on New Year’s Day.

Christmas trees

In a change to previous years, Swindon Borough Council will only be collecting Christmas trees for recycling from those with a garden waste subscription. The only alternative offered by the council for everyone else is to take their tree to the Household Waste Recycling Centre – for which a timeslot must be booked in advance on the council’s website. As an alternative, Prospect Hospice is collecting Christmas trees to raise money for the hospice. Collection must be booked by 1^st January. Trees will be collected on Saturday 6^th or Sunday 7^th January.

Pubs & Restaurants

The Wichel Inn

Open 11.30 am to 3.30 pm on Christmas Day; details for other days have not been published yet.

H&W Wichelstowe

Open as usual except:

• Christmas Eve, Sunday 24^th December — 12 noon – 7 pm
• Christmas Day, Monday 25^th December — 12 noon – 5 pm
• Boxing Day, Tuesday 26^th December — 12 noon – 4 pm
• New Year’s Eve, Sunday 31^st December — 12 noon – 9 pm
• New Year’s Day, Sunday 1^st January — 12 noon – 4 pm

Takeaway

Wichelstowe Fish Bar will be open between 4 pm and 9 pm from Tuesday 19^th December to Thursday 21^st December, and between 12 noon and 2 pm and between 4 pm and 9 pm on Friday 22^nd December. They then take a break, reopening on Wednesday 3^rd January.

Shops

Shops in Wichelstowe have the following opening hours over the festive period

Date	East Wichel Co-Op	Waitrose
Monday 18th December	7 am to 10 pm	7 am to 10 pm
Tuesday 19th December	7 am to 10 pm	7 am to 10 pm
Wednesday 20th December	7 am to 10 pm	7 am to 10 pm
Thursday 21st December	7 am to 10 pm	7 am to 10 pm
Friday 22nd December	7 am to 10 pm	7 am to 10 pm
Saturday 23rd December	7 am to 10 pm	7 am to 10 pm
Christmas Eve, Sunday 24th December	7 am to 6 pm	10 am to 4 pm
Christmas Day, Monday 25th December	closed	closed
Boxing Day, Tuesday 26th December	9 am to 5 pm	closed
Wednesday 27th December	7 am to 10 pm	7 am to 9 pm
Thursday 28th December	7 am to 10 pm	7 am to 9 pm
Friday 29th December	7 am to 10 pm	7 am to 9 pm
Saturday 30th December	7 am to 10 pm	7 am to 8 pm
New Year’s Eve, Sunday 31st December	7 am to 8 pm	10 am to 4 pm
New Year’s Day, Monday 1st January	8 am to 6 pm	closed
Tuesday 2nd January	7 am to 10 pm	7 am to 9 pm

Bus Services

Saturday 23^rd December

A normal Saturday bus service will operate.

Christmas Eve, Sunday 24^th December

A normal Sunday bus service will operate.

Christmas Day, Monday 25^th December

No bus services.

Boxing Day, Tuesday 26^th December

Swindon’s Bus Company will be running a Sunday service on service 11. Stagecoach service 9 will not run.

Wednesday 27^th December to Friday 29^th December

Stagecoach will be running a normal weekday service on service 9. Swindon’s Buses will be running a Saturday service on service 11, with an additional service to Wichelstowe, arriving in Middle Wichel at 5.54 am, and an additional service from Wichelstowe, leaving Middle Wichel at 5.58 am.

Saturday 30^th December

A normal Saturday bus service will operate.

New Year’s Eve, Sunday 31^st December

A normal Sunday bus service will operate.

New Year’s Day, Monday 1^st January

No bus services.

Tuesday 2^nd January

Normal bus services resume.

East Wichel & Wichelstowe News wishes all its readers a joyous Christmas and a peaceful new year.